Zion: Light of the New Moon, Imperial Palace Climax, Part 1
Zion - Light of the New Moon, The Climax The Imperial Palace Part 1
For as long as Zeke could remember the strongest emotion he had felt had always been fear. His sense of self preservation was the greatest focus of his life but, suddenly, that was all set aside. The fox stood in the doorway covering Dillan's retreat, every last strand of fur on him puffing up, enlarging his stance greatly as he snarled. The fox brandished his sword in one paw, the other gripping an old, soiled wool string that had once been a glowing necklace. Zeke realized it: this would be his defining moment.
With a roar, the cultist in the lead charged. The wolf easily had a foot of height on him, and likely fifty pounds. When Zeke finally moved from his position however it was forward, and not backward. The fox slid onto his front leg, changing his weight toward aggression and brought his hind leg up and out, catching the wolf between the legs. The cultist stumbled forward with a yelp, dropping his sword at the sudden agony caused to him.
With his foot still between the wolf's thighs, the fox pivoted, hooking that leg in the crook of the cultist's groin and yanking him to the side; the charging wolf ran face-first into the wall and fell over. Zeke had no chance to celebrate his victory however as the next cultist, a lithe, two-blade-wielding puma was on him. The fox quickly dropped down to his knees, raising his sword high to block a double-over-handed chop from his attacker. The moment the two blades the puma followed with a kick to Zeke's face.
The fox was knocked back, but not before his free paw grabbed hold of the wolf's dropped sword. He came up with a double slash outward, forcing the puma to step back as Zeke stood... but by then there were two more cultists in front of him; he was facing off against the puma, an ax wielding human, and a cheetah with two short blades. The fox felt a twinge of fear, but he buried it deep with a growl, and threw the wolf's heavy sword up into the air, letting the released weapon draw the attention from his assailants, and that's when he struck... but not with his sword.
Zeke took his fear, and his pain, and his loathing, and used them instead of words in his prayer to Tah'aveen. He knew how her unwanted attention felt; he knew what it was like to be the target of the soul-wrenching divine powers of the Sickle Moon, and he convinced himself that it was what the Sun Cultists needed to feel... and they did. Smokey purple tendrils of dark energy flowed out of the twirling blade as it spun in the air, striking each of his three opponents, staggering them as the force pushed them to their knees.
Suffering the blast of a tendril of his own, the fox pushed the energy aside, far too familiar with it to be stopped as he pressed the advantage, cleaving the head off of each of his prone foes. The fox repeated his earlier snarl, snatching the spinning sword out of the air once the aura left it. He gazed around at the remaining cultists who had paused, "Well?" he demanded, "Who's next?" and his question was rewarded by an arrow in the shoulder.
Zeke grunted, falling back into the doorway as other bowmen readied their shots. He ducked around the corner as several arrows struck the stone. Tears were coming out of his eyes as he held one paw against the wound, setting his sword down for a moment as he gripped the shaft. Letting out a cry of pain, the fox managed to snap the arrow off just outside of his body. He took a steadying breath and reached for his sword, but had to pull his hand back as a flail slammed into the wall next to his weapon. A badger pulled the flail back, readying it for another strike, which gave Zeke just enough time to get back... but he didn't; the Wild Lander moved forward.
The fox sank his small, pointed teeth into the badger's shoulder, causing the big man to shout out in surprise and pain. Focusing on that emotion, Zeke called to Tah'aeen again, clenching his jaws together, feeling bone grate against his teeth as the badger dropped the flail and desperately tried to escape... but it was a useless gesture; the badger was already losing strength, drained by the entropic energies of the Sickle Moon. Zeke eventually let the unmoving badger drop to the ground, killed by the combination of a lacerated shoulder, several minor wounds, and an arrow to the chest-- the fox's own hide was meticulously uninjured.
Zeke paused only to catch his breath and pick up his sword. He blinked once, listening to the cultists talking out in the main room. "He's a Sickle Moon Priest... kill him, no matter the cost."
"I'm not a priest!" Zeke shouted around the door frame.
"You're a servant to the Moon Goddess," one of the cultists shouted at him, "that's close enough!"
Something snapped inside the fox as he thought of the years he spent as the playthings of the priests. He remembered the pain and the mistreatment, the abuse and the agony. Zeke felt each and every wrong thing done to him, calling them to the forefront of his memory... the priests had said they did it as part of their rituals to the Goddess, but he knew the truth; they were after the power for themselves. Tah'aveen had to have known it too, but she did nothing to stop it.
He calmly turned the corner, facing down the remaining two dozen men and he leveled his gaze, "I'm no priest..." he announced, recalling the expression of elation and power-hungry glee on the muzzles of the priests who were ready to sacrifice him, "I'm just calling due on a debt she owes..." an umbral aura surrounded him, purple and black shadows licking all over his body. Zeke Sarnash proceeded to make good on collecting.
* * * * * *
As a member of the royal family, Thera had seen the Sentencing Stone used on many occasions, but never before had she seen what had happened. The mouse had not encountered a situation in which the stone had been used on a pregnant woman, but it suddenly became clear with the appearance of Harmony. Despite anything else, Thera appreciated the irony that Artemisia's enemies had given her daughter quite a powerful leg-up in her desire to avenge her mother; watching the way the young dragoness shaped and unleashed the immense blast of holy power, Thera certainly didn't want to be in High Priestess Alisha's position.
"No!" the robed wolf exclaimed, the blast of energy diverted around either side of her, immediately aging the stone it hit into dust, "I will NOT let an upstart change the divine plan... you will YIELD!" the priestess pointed with divine authority at the dragoness and a powerful gout of dark gray energy descended from the sky right onto Harmony.
Without pausing, Artemisia's daughter raised one arm and extended the other at the wolf. The cascading energy arced through her and launched itself in the form of a swirling vortex at Alisha. Raising her staff, the wolf absorbed the divine strike, "KILL THEM, YOU IDIOTS!" she roared, and only then did Thera remember the archers on the balconies.
"The mouse!" cawed the jackdaw, "Kill the De'Aveen heir!!!" Obediently, every archer rotated their stance, returning the focus of their bows toward Thera as they drew back their arrows... and the whole left balcony crumpled as a surge of water infiltrated the rocks and spontaneously expanded into ice. Bowmen fell to their deaths, only a few managing to loose their arrows... but none hit their mark thanks to Josh.
Sebastian had jumped to Thera's defense, landing between her and the archers right before the balcony broke apart. Josh, seated on his back, created a tangible shield of divine energy, raising it between them and the archers. As the arrows bounced harmlessly off of the shimmering field of protection Allin raced toward the three of them. He sprang into the air, slamming one foot down on the gryphon's rump to gain altitude the second step was on Josh's shoulder, and he soared into one of the pillars holding up a balconies on the undamaged side of the room, latching firmly onto the lip of the banister.
A bow man leaned down to shoot at the Tamaskan but Allin calmly released his grip with one paw and closed his fingers around the archer's weapon. With a quick yank he had the bow freed from the soldier and let it fall to the ground. The bow man, off balance, was then a prime target for the dog's grip. Allin used his hold on the archer's tunic to pull himself the rest of the way up onto the balcony, finishing his climb with a clean break of his opponent's neck... and then he was facing off against eight drawn bows.
"Empress..." Josh touched the mouse's shoulder, pulling her attention back to the ground level. She quickly dove to the ground as a searing blast of flame surged through the air where she had been moments before. Another blast came straight at her, but Josh's newest shield of protection intercepted the worst of it.
"Palo!" Yearl shouted, laying the injured hound he had carried against a pillar, "What are you DOING?!?!"
The red fox summoned forth a large gout of flame into his paw, the fire erupting from his fur and rising up into his palm, "Regretting my actions." he noted, and launched the blast right at the lion.
"No!" Thera shouted, and the fire turned aside at the divine request, narrowly missing the Captain.
"I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice." Palo explained, bringing both of his paws together in front of himself as he conjured an enormous inferno condensed into an orb the size of a Phases board.
"Palo... kill the mouse, you fool!" Monedula ordered.
"I was getting around to it." the fox noted with a sigh, and he turned to face Thera, "I'm sorry, your Highness." and--
"Uncle Palo!" Harmony shouted, facing the red fox. She held out a talon and the collar on Palo's neck shattered. High Priestess Alisha used the distraction to good effect, slamming the dragoness with a pure wave of divine force, knocking her across the throne room.
"You CAN'T!" the jackdaw cawed in frustration.
Palo turned immediately toward the aggravated old bird, "Apparently she can." and hurled the summoned blast right at her-- the bird disappeared in an inferno of flame.
"GUARDS!" the High Priestess howled, "TO ME!"
"We didn't need more foes." Yearl backed slowly toward Thera, falling back as he held his sword at the ready, "Thera... are you alright?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the remaining archers.
"I'm alright..." she confirmed, letting Sebastian, Josh, and Sten lead her under partial cover from the bowmen. She hazarded a glance toward the balcony where Allin had jumped; the Tamaskan was finishing off the last of the bowmen there, a slash across one side of his face and an arrow embedded in his ribs, but the injuries didn't seem to be slowing him down in the least, "We need to help Allin." she announced as several more soldiers came out onto the landing where the dog fought.
"GUARDS!" Alisha roared, "TO THE THRONE ROOM!" and the walls vibrated with her divine words.
"They won't save you." Harmony growled, rising up from where she lay on the floor, wiping away a drip of blood from her muzzle with the back of her arm. She licked her lips, eyes glowing a faint red, "Not now... not ever..."
"You're a pretender..." High Priestess Alisha growled back, "I'll crush you..."
"Tolen..." Yearl spoke, glancing to the side, then paused. The sudden surprise from the lion made Thera turn as well: Tolen knelt on the ground holding his chest where an arrow had pierced him. His entire robe was covered in red and his paw kept a death-grip around the protruding shaft, "TOLEN!" the Captain shouted.
"...fine..." the white furred fox announced, "I'm fine..." but he made no attempt to change his position, let alone move.
The doors at the far side of the room burst inward and an expression of pure, gleeful victory spread across Alisha's muzzle, "Now you will--" but she froze as everyone entered from the room behind the doors and they WEREN'T guards.
"Your guards won't be coming." Haldyn noted, a gory, blood-dripping sword in either paw.
"Sucks to be you." Narissa added, flicking the flute in her paw, resulting in a blade flipping out at the ready.
"You can still surrender." Yearl announced, taking a step forward, "We will show you the quarter you don't deserve."
Thera used the opportunity to move to where the tortured hound was set aside by Yearl. She quickly checked over him, "Priest?" she asked, "Priest...?"
"Help..." the dog rasped, "help her..." despite his wounds, the priest's eyes were on the dragoness.
"Six... twelve..." the jackdaw's raspy voice spoke up from the billowing curtain of flames, "It doesn't matter how many you bring..." and the fires slowly receded, flowing visibly INTO the bird as they were absorbed, "You have no idea what it is you face." she sneered.
"A deranged, fallen priestess..." Harmony announced, stalking toward the throne again, "...and her pigeon lackey."
"As thoughtless and as clueless as your mother, girl." Monedula noted flatly, and suddenly the dragoness was fighting to keep her balance on a floor covered in ice.
"She's an aquamancer... be careful." Palo noted, lowering his paw down to the stone floor and sending a wave of warmth across it to melt the ice.
"She just absorbed your fire." Tolen murmured, "Aquamancers.." he grimaced as he slowly stood, "...don't do that."
"It doesn't matter what tricks they have... I am going to kill them." Harmony promised.
"That's because you don't understand what is right in front of you." Alisha glowered, "And your ignorance will be your undoing." she pointed at the dragoness. Harmony raised her talons, presenting a holy ward against the incoming power... but nothing came.
"She has abandoned you." the dragoness grinned with bloodthirsty glee.
"Quite the contrary..." Alisha smirked victoriously, "I've just won." The dragoness paused, the glow in her eyes fading slowly, and suddenly she went rigid. "Not all prayers have to be to the Moon Goddess, after all..." she chuckled, stepping down the stairs as she closed in on the paralyzed dragoness. The cloaked wolf drew a long dagger with a wavy blade, "I think I will take a more direct approach with you than I did with your mother... I've never been one for having to deal with multiple generations and your family has caused me no end of trouble."
"Allin..." Tolen croaked, "help her!"
There was no immediate response from the balcony but, a moment later, the Tamaskan was dumped over the railing and he landed harshly on the ground. The remaining archers set their bloody blades aside and went to collect their bows-- they weren't expecting an angry gryphon to get to them first. Back beside the collapsed dog, Josh was doing what he could.
"And now, we can call this the end." announced High Priestess Alisha, raising her knife high.
"Freedom." Thera heard Father Tomal murmur from beside her... and then everything happened in a blur. The wolf's blade descended in its deadly arc, but an unparalyzed talon lashed out and gripped her firmly by the wrist. Harmony's eyes blazed red anew and her huge sword slid effortless into the wolf's chest.
"The end." the dragoness acknowledged, and pulled the weapon back out.
Alisha's muzzle moved several times, quivering as her tongue failed to shape a sound. She fell to her knees, jaw still opening and closing... up until her head was removed from its shoulders by another swipe of Harmony's sword.
"It's done." Yearl acknowledged, letting out a sigh as he looked to the jackdaw, the only remaining foe still standing in the room. He raised his voice, "Monedula, is it?" he questioned, "The High Priestess is dead... whatever insurrection against the empire she had planned is over." he slid his sword back into its sheath, "Come quietly so we can put an end to the bloodshed."
The jackdaw let out a sigh and shook her head, "Look what a mess has been made of everything..." she pulled a wand out of her robe... but a throwing knife took it from her grasp. Kell dropped down from his perch on the edge of a balcony.
"Do you WANT to die?" Thera demanded, straightening up to regal stature at the audacity of the bird.
"Maybe I do." Monedula smirked, taking a step closer.
"That's close enough." Yearl directed, pointing his sword at the jackdaw, "SOME of us don't mind showing no mercy."
"Oh calm yourself, Captain." the bird dismissed his words, "I'm an old lady... I'm tired of standing." and she took another step to stand in front of the throne.
"Well you're not sitting there, bitch." Haldyn spoke up.
"Oh aren't I?" the jackdaw questioned, sitting down.
"Oh no." Palo murmured, closing his eyes as his ears fell to the sides. The entire ground shook beneath everyone and a jump of the entire building sent people sprawling.
"What's going on?!" Josh gaped as he began to help a recovering Allin to his feet.
"It's Monedula..." Palo sighed, his tail tucked.
"She's the real mastermind behind this." Yearl announced, sudden understanding coming to him.
"Of course..." the bird acknowledged, tenting her talons in front of her face as her beak spread into a broad grin, "It is, after all, Her destiny..." and, with that, the jackdaw's body burst into a fierce white-and-blue flame.
"What IS she?!?" Tolen gasped.
Palo hung his head, "A Paragon of Tah'alia."